Gaming apparatus and systems

ABSTRACT

Gaming apparatus, e.g. an Electronic Gaming Machine (EGM) ( 1 ), includes a controller ( 2 ) for implementing e.g. a slot-machine game. The controller ( 2 ) displays a suitable gaming image on a display ( 6 ), e.g. virtual symbol reels ( 11 ) having a plurality of pay lines ( 12 ), and a player interacts with the EGM ( 1 ) through push buttons ( 8 ) or the like, e.g. to select the number of pay lines ( 12 ) to play and to spin the reels ( 11 ). The EGM ( 1 ) includes means for selecting one or more of the pay lines ( 11 ) as bonus pay lines and for associating a bonus feature with the bonus pay lines, so that if an appropriate win event occurs on a bonus play line, the bonus feature will trigger. For example, a win on a bonus pay line could pay out three times the prize of a win on a normal pay line.

The present invention relates to gaming apparatus and systems. Itrelates for example to electronic gaming machines and to networkedgaming systems. It relates for example to Intranet and/or toInternet-based gaming systems.

Gaming machines have been a popular form of entertainment for manyyears. This popularity has been enhanced with the advent of electronicgaming machines and also computer-based gaming systems, such as areprovided over the Internet.

Many different types of game are playable. They include for examplestandard slot-machine type games, with spinning reels, and casino-typegames. They include games such as poker, keno, bingo, blackjack,roulette, pachinko, Sic Bo and many others.

A user will typically place a bet, press a button or pull a lever tobegin a game, and will win or lose based upon for example mechanicalreel stops and/or on a gaming machine's play algorithms and randomnumber generators.

An aim of the present invention is to provide gaming apparatus andsystems having novel features that may enhance gameplay.

Viewed from one aspect, the present invention provides gaming apparatusincluding:

reel means for providing a plurality of reels, the reels having gamingsymbols thereon and being arranged adjacent one another so as to providea number of pay lines thereacross; and

bonus means for setting one or more of said pay lines to be a bonus payline and for associating a bonus feature with the bonus pay line.

The present invention may provide added interest to a standard videoslot game or the like, and presents a player of the game with specificpay lines that may for example pay out at higher rates and/or mayprovide some other bonus feature.

Typically, a slot game allows a number of pay lines to be defined andplayed across a set of reels. These pay lines will be determinedaccording to game design, jurisdictional, manufacturer and operatorparameters. Typically, each pay line will be in a set pattern thatincorporates at least one symbol stop position on each of the gamereels. Pay lines may however also be identified using stop positionsfrom only some the game reels.

As an example, a gaming machine may display five parallel verticalreels, and at the end of a spin three symbols from each reel may bevisible in the play area and become the subject of win assessment ondesignated pay lines that are in play. In this case, the game interfaceprovides a five by three grid of symbols, with the main pay line beingformed from the central symbol of each reel across the five reels, andthe next two significant pay lines being the row of symbols above themain pay line and the row of symbols below the main pay line. Other paylines can be defined as required e.g. by taking one symbol stop positionfrom each reel. In the five reels by three symbols machine, thereforethere would be 3⁵ possible combinations of symbols, although fewer linesare usually used in practice, and usually the number of pay lines thatmay be played are between 1 and 50.

The number and type of pay lines may depend on the jurisdictionalregulations, game denominations and player or operator preferences.

It is known in prior gaming machines to allow a player to choose thenumber of pay lines that they play. The present invention howeverdiffers over such prior gaming apparatus in that, in the prior art, nodistinction is made between the played pay lines. Thus, each pay linethat is played is treated in the same manner, and a win or the like forany particular pay line is paid out identically for each pay line, nomatter on which pay line a winning symbol combination might appear.

In contrast, the present invention specifies particular pay lines asbonus pay lines, so that a particular combination of game symbols willbe worth more if it occurs on a bonus pay line than if it occurs on anormal pay line. Generally, therefore, in a game according to thepresent invention, a player will play a number of pay lines, which willbe a combination of normal pay lines and bonus pay lines.

The bonus feature could be any feature that provides an advantage to aplayer. The bonus feature could be a prize event or feature event thatis a modification of a prize event or feature event on a normal payline. For example, if a player wins a prize event or feature event on anormal line through a particular combination of reel symbols, the playermay win a greater prize event or a more advantageous feature event forthe identical set of symbols on a bonus line.

The bonus feature could also be a prize or feature event that isexclusive to a bonus line. For example, a combination of reel symbolsoccurring on a bonus line may provide a prize or feature, whilst thesame combination occurring on a normal pay line may not.

A prize could be a standard win of cash or play credits, e.g. of a fixedor variable amount, and the bonus feature could be a multiplication ofthe standard win e.g. by a doubling or trebling of the amount normallywon.

A feature event could be one or more free plays or free spins, or thechanging of a game's parameter's to provide a higher return, e.g. animprovement in the odds of winning or an increase in prize amounts, andcould include the appearance of wild symbols or other valuable symbolsat a higher probability. It could also be the entry to a feature game,e.g. a game that is extraneous to a main or basic game, and that mayprovide greater returns than the main game or may provide bonuses foruse in the main game. The feature game may be a “second screen” typegame.

In one embodiment, the bonus feature may be the winning of a jackpotprize, e.g. of a fixed, progressive and/or linked jackpot.Alternatively, it could relate to the chance to win a jackpot, e.g.entry to a game in which the jackpot is a prize.

The apparatus may include gameplay monitoring means, and the apparatusmay determine the number of bonus lines to assign a player dependent ongameplay. Gameplay may relate to a current play of a game in which thebonus lines are to appear, and/or may relate to gameplay history, e.g.gameplay in one or more previous plays of a game.

For example, the number of bonus pay lines awarded may depend on thenumber of pay lines that a player is to play and/or on the bet amountthat they have laid. For example, a player may be awarded one bonus payline for each five pay lines played or may be awarded one or more bonuspay lines when playing a maximum bet or a bet higher than a specifiedminimum amount.

Bonus pay lines may also be awarded based on total bets to date or ongames played to date or on some other indication of gameplay amount.Bonus pay lines may also be based on a player's win history, and bonuspay lines could be awarded if a player has not won for a set amount ofgameplay or the like.

Bonus lines may themselves be won as a feature event, e.g. the awardingof one or more bonus lines may be triggered by a particular combinationof symbols occurring on a pay line.

Bonus lines may also be awarded randomly, and a player may also purchasebonus lines. A player may place a fixed or variable secondary bet inorder to purchase one or more bonus lines. Bonus lines may also beawarded in other ways, e.g. by an overall management system inaccordance with any appropriate rewards or compensation system, e.g. asa new player welcome bonus or the like.

The apparatus may include means to automatically determine which of thepay lines are to be the bonus pay lines. This may for example bedetermined in a random manner. In one embodiment, the apparatus mayinclude selection means for allowing a player to select which of the paylines are to be bonus pay lines. For example, the pay lines may benumbered, with their numbers appearing at the sides of the reels on thedisplay screen, and a player may choose the play lines that are to bebonus lines by selecting their numbers. The pay lines may then behighlighted, e.g. their numbers lit up, to confirm their selection.

In one embodiment, once bonus pay lines are selected, they may beretained in subsequent plays of a game, and are only altered should aplayer manually intervene to change the lines or should the playcircumstances change in a manner that would make the player ineligiblefor the current bonus lines, e.g. a change in bets or other useroptions.

Besides indicating the selected pay lines, the gaming apparatus may alsoinclude display means that indicates the bonus feature or featuresassociated with each bonus pay line. This could e.g. be in the form of abanner on the apparatus display.

Different bonus features may be associated with different bonus lines,e.g. some bonus pay lines could provide triple winnings, whilst othercould provide double winnings. These differences could be identified onthe apparatus display for example by highlighting bonus pay lines indifferent colours.

The awarding of bonus pay lines may be an automatic feature that isalways played, or a player may need to pay for or win the bonus linesfeature, e.g. through a side bet or through winning a bonus feature. Inone preferred form, a player will play a fixed side bet for a set ofbonus lines, or will play a variable side bet, the amount bet dependingon the number of bonus lines required.

The present invention may be applied to any suitable type of gamingsystem or platform. It can apply to stand-alone gaming apparatus, e.g.electronic gaming machines, such as video gaming machines, e.g. videoslot machines, and to gaming devices that are linked together, e.g.electronic gaming machines that are linked via a network such as anintranet. It may relate to gaming systems provided through computing orother electronic devices, e.g. personal computers, PDAs, mobiletelephones, digital televisions and the like, e.g. provided over theInternet or other communications networks.

The present invention is particularly applicable to gaming apparatusthat simulate reels, but could also be implemented using physical reels,and could be played using mechanical reels and an electronic bettingterminal that e.g. may supplement and/or reflect the mechanical gameplayand/or may provide other electronic management functions. For example,the gaming apparatus may include a mechanical “stepper” slot game thatis coupled with an overhead video screen that may display the mechanicalreels and/or may provide extra functionality, e.g. feature games, linkedjackpots, and the like.

In networked games, the apparatus may include a central control/serverfor conducting games and for managing the accounting and the like, and anumber of remote terminals/clients that provide user input and displaymechanisms. The control of the game may be carried out at the centralcontrol or at the remote terminals, or may be split between the two.

When part of a network, bonus pay lines may be awarded based on thegameplay of other linked devices as well, e.g. all of the devices thatare taking part in a particular linked game. For example, all playersmay be awarded bonus lines should one player win a jackpot.

The present invention extends to central controls/servers and remoteterminals/clients that are configured to carry out bonus line featuresof the present invention.

Viewed from another aspect, the present invention provides a gamingsystem including:

reel means for providing a plurality of reels, the reels having gamingsymbols thereon and being arranged adjacent one another so as to providea number of pay lines thereacross; and

bonus means for setting one or more of said pay lines to be bonus paylines and for associating a bonus feature with each of the bonus paylines.

Viewed from another aspect, the present invention provides a method ofoperating gaming apparatus, the method including the steps of:

spinning a plurality of reels of the apparatus to provide a bet outcome,the reels having gaming symbols thereon and being arranged adjacent oneanother so as to provide a number of pay lines thereacross, each payline providing a bet outcome; and

specifying one or more of said pay lines to be a bonus pay line andassociating a bonus feature with the specified bonus pay line.

Viewed from a further aspect, the present invention provides gamingsoftware including:

a component for generating a plurality of game reels, the reels havinggaming symbols thereon and being arranged adjacent one another so as toprovide a number of pay lines thereacross; and

a component for setting one or more of said pay lines as a bonus payline and for associating a bonus feature with the bonus pay line.

The present invention also extends to gaming/computer software products,including a data storage medium on which gaming software/program codeaccording to the present invention is stored.

Viewed from a still further aspect, the present invention providesgaming apparatus including: a set of reels that provide a number of paylines, e.g. provided by a software engine and/or mechanical apparatus;and a selector for allowing the selection of one or more of said paylines as a bonus pay line and for associating a bonus feature with saidbonus pay line.

Viewed from another aspect, the present invention provides an electronicslot game in which one or more pay lines across a plurality of gamereels can be specified as bonus pay lines, the bonus pay lines eachhaving a bonus feature associated therewith that is not provided on anormal pay line.

The present invention may also have broader application, and may relateto any game in which a number of sets of symbols, e.g. a number of playlines or a number of card hands, can be played on at the same time.Thus, viewed from another aspect, the present invention provides gamingapparatus including:

game means for playing a game, including means for placing a bet on agame and means for generating a plurality of sets of game symbols, thecombination of game symbols in a set determining a win event for thatset;

selection means for specifying one or more of said sets from saidplurality of sets as a bonus set; and

bonus means for associating a bonus feature with one or more win eventson a bonus set, wherein if a said win event occurs in a bonus set, saidassociated bonus feature is triggered.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the sets are pay lines in a slotgame, e.g. video or mechanical slot game, and the symbols are symbols onslot reels. Other types of set would however be possible. For example,the game may be a card game, in which a player may play a number ofhands at the same time.

The present invention may also be applied to situations in which anumber of games are played concurrently, with one or more of the gamesbeing chosen as a bonus game that provides better results in somemanner.

Viewed from another aspect, the present invention provides gamingapparatus including:

means for generating a plurality of sets of symbols, the combination ofsymbols in a set determining a win event for that set;

selection means for specifying one or more of said sets as a bonus set;and

bonus means for associating a bonus event with a win event in said bonusset, wherein if said win event is triggered in a bonus set, saidassociated bonus feature is triggered.

The same considerations that are discussed above in relation to thenumber and selection of bonus pay lines are also applicable to bonussets in general.

It should be noted that any one of the aspects mentioned above mayinclude any of the features of any of the other aspects mentioned above,and may include any of the features of any of the embodiments describedbelow, as appropriate.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way ofexample only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is to beunderstood that the particularity of the drawings does not supersede thegenerality of the preceding description of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of gaming apparatus according to oneembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a screen shot of a gaming machine's display, showing bonusline features, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a control process in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of further apparatus for implementing anembodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of further apparatus for implementing anembodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, gaming apparatus, which in this case takes the formof an electronic gaming machine (EGM) 1, includes various components,such as a controller 2 for controlling the operation of the EGM 1 andthe games run on it, memory 3 for storing programs and data used by thecontroller 2, a credit input 4 for receiving monies, e.g. coins, tokensand/or electronic money, e.g. stored on a card or other device, a winoutput 5 for paying out winnings, e.g. as coins, tokens or electroniccredits, e.g. by updating a card, a display 6 for displaying gamescreens, and user inputs 7 for allowing user interaction. The userinputs 7 may include buttons 8, which may be provided as part of atouchscreen of the display 6 or may be separate physical buttons.

The EGM 1 may be a stand-alone machine. It may also be networked withother EGMs and/or a central control 9 via a suitable communicationsnetwork 10, such as a LAN and/or WAN. This may for example allow for theplay of networked (e.g. intranet or Internet) games, such as a linkedjackpot.

In use, the EGM 1 will display an initial gaming screen on the display6. A player inserts coins, tokens or a payment card into the EGM input3, and presses a button 8 to initiate play. How matters then proceedwill depend on the type of game being played. For example, in a slotmachine-type game, the EGM 1 will display virtual reels of symbols, andwill spin and stop these reels in various win and lose symbolcombinations on a pay line in accordance with stored gaming algorithmsand random number generators. Alternatively, in a card-type game, aplayer will manage cards, e.g. receive a number of cards with which toplay for a winning hand.

The player may interact via the display 6 and user inputs 7, e.g. so asto spin or hold reels, or to obtain and throw away cards and the like.

Whatever game is played, a common element will be prize events, e.g. thepay out of a prize when a particular symbol or symbol combinationoccurs.

Also, in order to increase interest, a game will often include featureevents that may or may not relate directly to the game being played, andthat generally provide a bonus of some sort. These bonus features mayinclude for example one or more free games, a respin (similar to a freegame but with one or more reels held), or the chance to play for higherreturns, e.g. higher payouts, better odds or the like. The bonus featuremay relate to a wild feature, such as wild reel symbols or cards thatcan represent more than one type of symbol or card, and so can increasethe chances of achieving a winning combination or the like. The bonusfeatures may be provided in the main game or in as “second screen”features that display on a new screen. Bonus features are generallyluck-based, but could be skills-based. They may for example allow aplayer to purchase an extra wild card in a draw poker skill game.

These win and feature events can be arranged to occur in many differentways, e.g. randomly, or under a particular set of circumstances, e.g.based on a play outcome, e.g. triggered by a set symbol or cardcombination.

For a video slot game, the display 6 may show a number of game reels 11and a number of pay lines 12. Thus, the reels are spun, and a win eventoccurs when a specific symbol or combination of symbols occurs along apay line 12. The pay lines 12 are formed across the reels 11 andtypically will include a symbol from each reel 11. Where there are fivereels and each displays three symbols in the play area, there are 3⁵possible combinations of symbols and so 243 possible pay lines.Typically, depending on the jurisdictional regulations, gamedenominations, and/or player and operator preferences, between 1 and 50pay lines are played.

A few of these pay lines 12 are shown on the display 6 of FIG. 1. Thus,three horizontal pay lines are shown, which comprise the top, middle andbottom rows of the reel symbols in the play area, and also shown are paylines that, after the first two symbols on each of the rows, cross overthrough the middle symbol into another row for the final two symbols.Clearly, many other pay line symbol combinations are possible.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, thecontroller 2 awards a player bonus pay lines, a bonus feature beingassociated with each bonus pay line. The EGM 1 may for example allow aplayer to select one or more of the pay lines as bonus pay lines, andthen to pay out to the player a greater prize when a winning symbolcombination occurs on a bonus line as compared to when the same symbolcombination occurs on a normal pay line. The EGM 1 may also pay out forsymbols combinations on bonus lines that would provide no win on anormal pay line. This can then provide a user with extra choice andinteractions with the EGM 1, and so provides a game of extra interestand appeal.

Thus, the EGM 1 may include bonus means for setting one or more of thepay lines 12 to be bonus pay lines and for associating a bonus featurewith each of the bonus pay lines. These means may be provided throughthe EGM controller 2 and memory 3 and/or through the central control 9.

The bonus feature may be any feature that provides an advantage to aplayer. The bonus feature could be a prize or feature event that is amodification of a prize or feature event on a normal pay line. Forexample, if a player wins a prize or feature event on a normal linethrough a particular combination of reel symbols, the player may win agreater prize or a more advantageous feature event for the same set ofsymbols on a bonus pay line.

The bonus feature could also be a prize or feature event that isexclusive to a bonus line. For example, a combination of reel symbolsoccurring on a bonus line may provide a prize or feature, whilst thesame combination occurring on a normal pay line does not.

In one embodiment, the bonus pay line features could be multiplying allwins on the bonus line as compared to the same wins on a normal payline, or multiplying specific wins on the bonus line as compared to thesame wins on a normal pay line, or the triggering of a feature when aset combination of symbols occur on the bonus pay line.

The bonus feature that may be won on the bonus pay lines may include anyof the feature events discussed above. It could be the play of a game atbetter odds or for higher prize amounts or better features than astandard game, and could relate to free spins, respins and wild symbols.It could relate to second screen games. It could also relate to amystery or random prize or feature.

One bonus line feature event would be the ability to win a jackpot prizeon a bonus line. This jackpot could be a fixed or progressive jackpot,and could be a linked jackpot, i.e. a jackpot that may be won by anumber of linked machines, e.g. through the communications network 10and the central control 9. The jackpot bonus could be the winning of ajackpot directly, or could relate to the chance to win a jackpot, e.g.the provision of a subsequent jackpot spin.

In one embodiment, the EGM 1 includes means for monitoring gameplay andfor determining the number of bonus lines to play based on gameplay.Gameplay may relate to a current game, e.g. a player may receive a bonuspay line based on the number of pay lines that they have chosen to playin a current play or based on the bets that they are placing. Forexample, a player may receive a bonus line for every five pay linesplayed, or may receive one or more pay lines for betting a maximumamount or for betting above a threshold value.

Bonus lines may also be awarded based on gameplay history. For example,the number of bonus lines awarded may be based on previous bet amountsor the number of previous plays of a game or when a specific event, e.g.a set combination of symbols, occurs on a pay line.

The number of bonus pay lines available may also be determined in otherways. For example, bonus lines may be awarded randomly or may be boughtor may be assigned to players by an overall management program inaccordance with a loyalty scheme or the like, e.g. administered by thecentral control 9.

The EGM 1 may select the pay lines that are to be bonus linesautomatically, e.g. randomly or in accordance with preset conditions. Inone embodiment, the EGM 1 may include means to allow a player to choosewhich pay lines are to be bonus lines, e.g. through the user interface7. Thus, the EGM 1 may determine the number of bonus pay linesavailable, and may allow a player to select this number of bonus linesfrom the play lines that are to be played.

Once the EGM 1 or a player has selected the bonus pay lines, these linesare preferably retained in each subsequent play unless a player decidesto change them or unless the gameplay changes so that the player is nolonger eligible for the bonus lines.

The bonus pay line feature may be implemented automatically by the EGM1, or may require the payment of a side bet or the like, or may be afeature that is won through a suitable win event on a pay line.

FIG. 2 is a screen shot of the display 6 showing one way of implementingthe bonus pay line feature. The screen shot shows a number of virtualgaming reels 20 that are spun to provide symbol combinations inaccordance with the rules of the gaming algorithms run by the controller2. It also shows touchscreen buttons 21 that allow a user to place abet, to choose the number of pay lines to play, and to set the reels 20spinning. It further shows indicator boxes 22 for indicating a player'sremaining credits, the bet amount laid and the player's accumulatedwinnings.

In the top right hand corner of the display 6, the screen shot shows abonus pay line indicator 23 which indicates that the bonus pay linefeature has been activated, and a bonus pay line information banner 24is provided above the reels 20 to indicate the type of bonus event orevents that are associated with the bonus pay lines.

Along the left and right hand sides of the reels 20 are pay line numberindicators 25 that indicate the play lines that can be played. Some ofthese pay line numbers are highlighted to indicate that they are bonuspay lines. An appropriate win on the highlighted bonus pay lines willprovide the or a bonus, as indicated in the banner 24.

The bonus pay lines may be selected automatically by the EGM 1, or maybe selected by the player, e.g. by touching one of the line numberindicators 25. The number of bonus lines available to a player may alsobe indicated through the display 6 e.g. when the player is prompted tochose their bonus pay lines.

FIG. 3 shows one possible flowchart for the running of a bonus pay linefeature by the controller 2. Thus, an embodiment of the invention may beput into effect by the controller 2 running software that incorporates asubroutine executing in the manner shown.

When the bonus pay lines feature is activated, the routine in entered atstep S1 where the user inputs are determined, e.g. the number of linesto be played and the bets to be placed. In step S2, the controller S2determines from this the number of bonus pay lines that are to beawarded, e.g. one bonus line per five normal lines played, and in stepS3 the appropriate number of bonus lines are selected from the pay linesthat are in play, either automatically or through a user selection. Oncethe bonus pay lines are chosen, the reels 11 are spun at step S4, andprizes and feature wins are determined at step S5 based on whether ornot win events have occurred on the normal pay lines and on whether ornot win events have occurred on any of the bonus lines.

The above is of course only one possible routine and other steps androutines may be utilised also.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of further apparatus for carrying out anembodiment of the present invention, in which there is a centralcontrol/server 40 that communicates with a number of remote playerterminals/client programs 41, e.g. computing devices, through a suitablecommunications medium 42. The computing devices 41 could for example bepersonal computers, PDAs, mobile phones, digital televisions or thelike, and the communications medium 42 could be for example theInternet, an intranet, a telephone or television communications system,e.g. satellite or cable, or any other suitable communications network.

In this embodiment, the running of a game and the determining of betoutcomes and the like, including the allocation of bonus pay lines, canoccur on the central control 40, whilst user inputs and the display ofgames screens and the like occur on the player terminals 41. Theterminals 41 may receive program code or other data from the centralcontrol 40 in order to provide an appropriate user interface.

FIG. 5 shows further apparatus that could implement an embodiment of thepresent invention, in which an electronic gaming machine 50 includes amechanical part 51 and an associated electronic control and display 52.The mechanical part 51 includes a set of mechanical reels 53 and playerbuttons 54, with the reels 53 being spun and stopped to provide prizesand features based on the resulting reel symbols. The electronic control52 may display the results of the reels 53, e.g. as screen reels 55, andmay also oversee any feature functions and the like associated with thegame, such as the allocation of bonus pay lines, through further displayarea 56.

As can be seen, the gaming apparatus may take many different forms,including an EGM and/or computing network. It could for example comprisea game provided on a computing or other electronic device, such as on apersonal computer, PDA, mobile phone, digital television or the like.The game may be provided over an intranet, the Internet, or some othercommunications system, such as a mobile telephone system.

The number of reels and the number of symbols that each reel provides ina play area may of course vary, and, for example, three, seven or nineor more reels could also be used instead of the five reels shown.

In another variation, different bonus features may be associated withdifferent bonus lines, e.g. some bonus pay lines could provide triplewinnings, whilst other could provide double winnings. These could beidentified on screen for example by highlighting the pay line numbers 25in different colours.

The present invention need not be confined to slot machines, and mayrelate to any game in which a number of sets of symbols, e.g. a numberof pay lines or a number of card hands, can be played on at the sametime. Thus, one or more of the sets may be designated as a bonus setthat may provide improved outcomes, along the lines of the principalsdiscussed above in relation to pay lines. The invention may also relateto the playing of multiple games simultaneously, with one or more of thegames being designated as a bonus game with a bonus feature, so that thebonus games provide an added advantage, e.g. higher payout or the like.

It is to be understood that various alterations, additions and/ormodifications may be made to the parts previously described withoutdeparting from the ambit of the present invention, and that, in thelight of the above teachings, the present invention may be implementedin mechanical elements, in software, in firmware and/or in hardware in avariety of manners as would be understood by a person skilled in theart.

1. Gaming apparatus including: reel means for providing a plurality ofreels, the reels having gaming symbols thereon and being arrangedadjacent one another so as to provide a number of pay lines thereacross;and bonus means for setting one or more of said pay lines to be a bonuspay line and for associating a bonus feature with the bonus pay line. 2.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a bonus feature is a win event that isa modification of a win event on a normal pay line, e.g. amultiplication of a prize or feature that would be won on a normal payline.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a bonus feature is a winevent exclusive to the bonus line.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, whereina win event is the winning of a prize or the winning of a feature. 5.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bonus feature is related to thewinning of a jackpot prize, e.g. the winning of a jackpot prize or thechance of entering a jackpot play.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe apparatus include gameplay monitoring means, and the apparatusdetermines the number of bonus pay lines to assign a player dependent ongameplay.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein gameplay relates to acurrent play of a game, e.g. the number of bonus lines awarded dependson the number of pay lines that a player is to play and/or on the betamount that a player has laid.
 8. The apparatus of claim 6, whereingameplay relates to gameplay history, e.g. gameplay in one or moreprevious plays of a game.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein bonus paylines are won as a feature event.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1,including automatic selection means for automatically determining whichpay lines are to be bonus pay lines.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1,including manual selection means for allowing a player to select whichpay lines are to be bonus pay lines.
 12. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the bonus means selects at least two bonus pay lines andassociates a first bonus feature with a first bonus pay line and adifferent bonus feature with a second bonus pay line.
 13. The apparatusof claim 1, including display apparatus for indicating played pay linesand for indicating which of said pay lines are bonus pay lines.
 14. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein said reel means includes means forgenerating simulated reels.
 15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein saidreel means includes physical wheels.
 16. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the apparatus is an electronic gaming machine.
 17. The apparatusof claim 1, wherein the apparatus includes a central control and aplurality of remote devices in communication with the central control.18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus includes a networkof electronic devices.
 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein bonuslines are awarded based on the gameplay of other linked devices.
 20. Agaming system including: reel means for providing a plurality of reels,the reels having gaming symbols thereon and being arranged adjacent oneanother so as to provide a number of pay lines thereacross; and bonusmeans for setting one or more of said pay lines to be a bonus pay lineand for associating a bonus feature with the bonus pay line.
 21. Thesystem of claim 20, wherein the system includes a central control forrunning a gaming algorithm, and a plurality of remote clients incommunication with the central control over a communications network,the remote clients including means for displaying gaming screens and forallowing player interaction with the central control.
 22. A method ofoperating gaming apparatus, the method including the steps of: spinninga plurality of reels to provide a bet outcome, the reels having gamingsymbols thereon and being arranged adjacent one another so as to providea number of pay lines thereacross, each pay line providing a betoutcome; and specifying one or more of said pay lines to be a bonus payline and associating a bonus feature with the specified bonus pay line.23. Gaming software including: a component for generating a plurality ofgame reels, the reels having gaming symbols thereon and being arrangedadjacent one another so as to provide a number of pay lines thereacross;and a component for setting one or more of said pay lines as a bonus payline and for associating a bonus feature with the bonus pay line.
 24. Acomputer software product including a storage medium on which is storedgaming software according to claim
 23. 25. Gaming apparatus including: aset of reels that provide a number of pay lines, and a selector forallowing the selection of one or more of said pay lines as a bonus payline and for associating a bonus feature with said bonus pay line. 26.An electronic slot game in which one or more pay lines across aplurality of game reels can be specified as bonus pay lines, the bonuspay lines each having a bonus feature associated therewith that is notprovided on a normal pay line.
 27. Gaming apparatus including: gamemeans for playing a game, including means for placing a bet on a gameand means for generating a plurality of sets of game symbols, thecombination of game symbols in a set determining a win event for thatset; selection means for specifying one or more of said sets from saidplurality of sets as a bonus set; and bonus means for associating abonus event with said bonus sets, wherein if a win event occurs in abonus set, said associated bonus event is triggered.
 28. The apparatusof claim 27, wherein said sets are pay lines in a video slot game andthe symbols are symbols on slot reels.
 29. The apparatus of claim 27,wherein said sets are hands of cards and the symbols are card symbols.30. Gaming apparatus including: means for generating a plurality of setsof symbols, the combination of symbols in a set determining a win eventfor that set; selection means for specifying one or more of said sets asa bonus set; and bonus means for associating a bonus event with a winevent in said bonus set, wherein if said win event is triggered in abonus set, said associated bonus feature is triggered.